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Cardiothoracic Surgeon salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cardiothoracic surgeon is $218,400 per annum, before tax, up $46,700 since 2018.
Most cardiothoracic surgeons are salaried specialists in public hospitals, where pay is set by the state enterprise agreement and rises with years of service and the amount of on-call work taken on. Private practice works differently: surgeons bill per procedure and receive a share of the fee, so earnings track case volume and complexity rather than a fixed scale. A mix of public sessions and private lists is common, and it is that mix, more than location, that moves total pay.
How to negotiate a higher cardiothoracic surgeon salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cardiothoracic surgeon salary is $218,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Cardiothoracic Surgeons are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Patient care and support and Clinical assessment and treatment tend to command a premium over general cardiothoracic surgeon experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Cardiothoracic Surgeon salary questions
How much do cardiothoracic surgeons earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cardiothoracic surgeon is $218,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cardiothoracic surgeon pay rising or falling?
The median cardiothoracic surgeon salary is up $46,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.